Purging and Prioritizing

I'm starting (just starting, mind you) to get used to the fact (I'm afraid it's a fact) that my life has a new pace: simply, constantly busy.  Blogging, which is mostly a hobby/memory preserver/record keeper, has gotten a lot less time as a result.  In fact, I had to go through and stop following a few blogs.  One I clicked on had gone private without my knowing, which stunk, but that's what you get when you don't keep up, I guess.  Anyway, this decrease in my time is forcing me to better balance my responsibilities and prioritize.

Purging is one part of prioritizing brings me great joy.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE getting rid of things that haven't gotten use in awhile, or take up too much space, or distract us from things more important.  The obviously purged items include toys, my clothes (because I honestly get tired of them sometimes and just stop wearing them, or because I try to keep to the rule of getting a new item of clothing requires that I toss an old one, to keep the closet from overflowing), the kids' clothes (because we get a lot from generous people and like to pass on the gift, rarely read books, etc.  We pretty much always take our purged items to St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, so it's nice to know that they will get more use.

This week I organized the basement and I have to say it looks SO nice!  Instead of piles of storage tubs randomly stacked in a maze, I can now see what we have at a glance.  There is room for the kids to play and room for the grown-ups to exercise (at some point, I hope to try to get back into better physical condition - notice that I did not say "shape" - not worried about that right now!).

This weekend the baby room is on my radar.  Plans are to put a sheet on the crib, add the bumper pads (yes, I still use them during early infancy - prior to rolling over), and have Paul hang a picture, a shelf, and attach the mirror that belongs to the dresser (one of those things that never got put back together after moving).  I also need to remove the old drapery rods so that, when I do pick out curtains (I hope it won't take too long, but I apparently have expensive taste and haven't found anything I like within budget thus far), I will be able to hang them (after getting some rods, but that requires knowing what curtains I'll be getting).

Last night I started getting teary - hormones and a long, long list of to-do before the baby is born and before Christmas is here.  I want our Advent to be full of joy - not tasks.  Yet I have a major work project that I have to take care of, some Christmas gifts to make, and some other random tasks that need to get addressed, such as getting new eyeglasses for Paul and myself (I'm pretty sure a 10 year old prescription pair of glasses doesn't qualify as corrective lenses that are legal for me to be driving with - but don't worry - I always wear current prescription contacts when I drive).  I finally temporarily remedied my distress by writing down all my to-dos.  Paul looked over and said something like, "That looks like a complicated list."  :-)  But at least I have it all written down and maybe now I can stop thinking about it.

Schooling has been a little troublesome at times as well.  Kassia has difficulties with math (though she does indeed achieve mastery of a concept, after a time she is unable to retain that understanding) and we've tried many different approaches.  Really working out what was wrong was hard, but we at least (finally) know what she needs at this point and it cannot be found in a program or a tutor. It just means that we have to teach according to how she learns, which is atypical.  Progress will be slow - but it will be lasting.  And that's what matters.

But now, one of my priorities is ready for me to be off the computer and, though I could write more, I'm happy to comply.  This Thanksgiving, I am especially thankful for my husband - the father of my amazing children and my very best friend and I'm going to give him my full attention.